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Chevrolet says that the C8 design is "inspired by F22s, F35s and other modern fighter jets and Formula One racing cars."

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The two-spoke steering wheel is a link with Corvettes of yore.

Now the engine is behind the cockpit and on full display to the world. It's beautifully appointed and reminds me of both the Lamborghini Huracan and the Ford GT.

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The engine is called the LT2, and it's another version of the direct injection, naturally aspirated 6.2L V8 common across GM. The main difference here is a dry sump oil system.

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Corvette Executive Chief Engineer Tadge Juechter introduces the 2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray. The event used augmented reality to superimpose hidden details like the car's suspension over live video footage of the car on stage.

Dan MacMedan for Chevrole

This is one of the car's better angles.

Former astronauts Dr. Mae Jemison and Capt. Scott Kelly address the gathering before the introduction. Corvettes have been associated with astronauts ever since Alan Shepard. But I think NASA would take a dim view if its current astronauts spent their mornings street racing in Texas and Florida.

Steve Fecht for Chevrolet

I think I need to see this car painted velocity yellow. And preferably in C8.R race car form.

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If you opt for the removable roof, it fits in the rear trunk. But probably not at the same time as a pair of golf bags.

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This looks a lot like a Chevrolet Camaro to me.

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There is a wide color palette to pick from in the interior, and a choice of three different sports seats.

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Chevrolet invited 250 journalists to the reveal, along with 750 VIPs, influencers, and Corvette owners.

Dan MacMedan for Chevrolet

(L to R) CERV I, CERV III, CERV II, experimental research Corvettes.

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CERV I was the first, in 1960.

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This pretty thing is CERV II, from 1964.

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In 1990, it built CERV III. This one almost made it into production. It would have had a 650hp twin-turbo V8, all-wheel drive, and extensive use of carbon fiber and active aerodynamics. But the price would have topped $400,000, and the bean counters said no.

Chevrolet provided air travel from Washington, DC, to Santa Ana, California, and one night in a hotel for this story.

TUSTIN, Calif.—On Thursday night, in a 1,000-foot-long (300m) hangar packed with hundreds of attendees, the world got its first proper look at the next Chevrolet Corvette. New for model year 2020, it's the eighth version of "America's sportscar" and one that's radically different to any production Corvette of the past. In the quest for even sharper handling, the engineering team realized the engine would have to move behind the cabin.

Further Reading

This change has been an open secret for some years now, probably to prepare the fiercely loyal and just-as-opinionated fanbase that once freaked out just because the shape of the tail lights changed with the debut of the previous generation car. It's an idea Corvette has played with since the early days, when Zora Arkus-Duntov was in charge. Starting with CERV I in 1960, there has been a stream of experimental concepts with the engine between driver and rear wheels, but none ever made the leap to production car. How times change.

The performance bargain of the century?

Although we've known about the impending layout swap, that was pretty much all we knew. Grainy spy shots from places like the Nürburgring and the Milford Proving Ground filtered out, as did rumors of breathtaking performance. But debate raged over the details, particularly the question of whether a supercar layout and supercar speed meant a supercar price. As it turns out, the answer is no, as a brand new C8 Corvette (as the new generation is known) will start at under $60,000 when it goes on sale next year. But the stuff about the breathtaking performance? That was all spot on: Chevrolet promises the car will do the dash to 60mph in under three seconds. That's as fast as the outgoing Z06, a model that has 650hp (485kW) costing $20,000 more.

Further Reading

The C8 gets a new variant of the GM family direct-injection 6.2L V8, called the LT2. It remains naturally aspirated and sends 495hp (369kW) and 470lb-ft (637Nm) to the rear wheels via an eight-speed dual clutch transmission. The biggest changes are to the oil system. It is a dry sump design, which reduces the height of the engine, allowing it to sit lower in the engine bay, in turn lowering the center of gravity. To look at, the engine bay is a thing of beauty, with design cues that remind me of both the Lamborghini Huracan and the Ford GT.

When we look at the chassis and suspension we see more fundamental changes compared to Corvettes past. The chassis is still aluminum, but instead of the old ladder frame, it gets its strength from a central tunnel running down the middle of the cabin. And the C8's suspension now features coilover springs and dampers; the transverse leaf springs that were the butt of so many ill-founded jokes are no more. As with the current car, magnetorheological dampers that can adapt to different road surface conditions are an option with the Z51 pack.

GPS-enabled party trick gets cheer of the night

The suspension's real party trick, one that drew a huge cheer from the hundreds of Corvette fans in the hangar, is the nose lift that raises the front by 1.6 inches (40mm). A low ride height might be good for on-track handling, but listening to the underside of the car scrape on parking ramps and speed bumps gets tiresome after a while, and such systems are common on more exotic fare. What makes this one special is that it's GPS-aware. You can tell the car to remember a particular location—1,000 particular locations to be precise—where the nose needs raising, and the car will automatically adjust from then on. It's a very clever touch that should spare C8 drivers the embarrassment that comes from holding up traffic in a slow-moving supercar as you hunt for the right button or switch.

Saving weight has always been a priority for Corvette designers, and at 3,366lbs (1,527kg) the C8 manages to weigh just 4lbs (1.8kg) more than the car it replaces. The rear bumper beam is carbon fiber, and there are lightweight glass fiber-reinforced plastic moldings for front and rear cargo bays. Speaking of cargo bays, the second biggest cheer of the night came with the news that you can fit not one but two golf bags in the rear trunk.

Further Reading

The most divisive thing about the C8 is going to be the way it looks. As ever, that's a very subjective thing. I can only speak for myself, but I find the exterior a bit underwhelming. The proportions at the front don't quite work for me, and the rear is too reminiscent of the Camaro. At the very end of the stage show reveal, we were treated to a second or two of footage of the forthcoming C8.R race car, which looked much more my cup of tea, but beyond that Corvette Racing remains tight-lipped. I'm more of a fan of the interior, which features both a touchscreen and a long blade of physical buttons that bisects the cockpit. The design and materials are a step up from the C7 (which was already rather good), and there's a wide choice of options for colors and materials.

Unfortunately, we'll have to wait a while before we get a chance to drive one, as the car only begins production in Bowling Green, Kentucky, later this year.

407 Reader Comments

It looks a little generic, and it looks very much not like a Corvette. I honestly wish GM had the stones to kill the Corvette name and just call it the Stingray, but never let a tired brand die is sort of their motto. I'm sure the performance will be off the chain, however.

It looks a little generic, and it looks very much not like a Corvette. I honestly wish GM had the stones to kill the Corvette name and just call it the Stingray, but never let a tired brand die is sort of their motto. I'm sure the performance will be off the chain, however.

How could they call it a 'Stingray' without the gills (the air vents behind the front wheels)?

As a filthy millennial, I've thought every Corvette post-1960's has looked the same, and they were all hideous. This, however, looks awesome. It doesn't look like a Corvette, but that's very much a good thing.

So here's the bigger question: will it be able to shunt enough heat to go around a big track more than thrice? I've heard quite a bit on Ars about the Corvette C7's notorious overheating issues.

As to the aesthetics, I fucking love it. Corvette wants to stay competitive as a brand and product with the LFAs and Huracans of the world, that means mid-engine and better aero accompanied by daring visuals. Chaining yourself to tradition is a one-way path to failure.

The craziest thing about this is the price. This is a mid-engine high performance sports car, well deservingly in the 'supercar' class. And it costs $60k? That's insanely low for this amount of car. Consider that a 911 Carrera S costs almost twice as much, yet makes 50hp less. Compare to an NSX or really any other supercar, as well, and the difference is mind boggling.

That's not a 'Vette no matter what badge they put on it. The defining features of being a Corvette have been the extra-long hood and the air vents behind the front wheels. Only a few have also had intakes in front of the real wheels but nothing remotely as pronounced as those monstrosities.

Bullshit. The defining feature of the Corvette has been being a very fast, very light, very maneuverable 2-seater sports car that mere mortals can afford.

I'm not a huge 'vette fan, but the aesthetics are definitely more in line with my tastes and the performance numbers are impressive. Hopefully it "feels" like quality. On a side note, Doug did a review of a C5 yesterday, which is fun for anyone interested quirks, features, and Corvettes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcCszG4yNIU

It doesn't look like a 'Vette, but then I've grown up and old with the front-engine variety so this one doesn't quite look like a standard one yet, to me. As for "generic" - there's only so much you can do with a rear-mid-engine design styling-wise, and they got enough Chevy cues in in that it more or less works.

Interestingly, the 'Vette has been mid engine for a couple of iteratons; it's just that the engine was in front of the driver rather than behind. Perhaps "pilot" is a better term for those sitting ahead of the engine?

I have to wonder, since this has equal or more performance potential to the Z06 and somehow the materials inside are a, "step up...", but the price is $20K lower, then where were corners cut to save the money? We all know that American car companies historically were not above factoring in a little non-reliance to save money in manufacturing costs.

Is this engine going to be something we can count on? I think something's gotta give.

So the GPS remembers where to raise the nose, instead of where to lower it? Wouldn't it be better to have it lower it into racing configuration at the track, and by default have it higher up to deal with bumps and potholes when its not in a whitelisted place?

It amazes me that some automakers can have a sub 4.0liter engine with over 400HP capabilities and GM still has a 6.2liter motor rater under 500HP. We have broken the 100HP per liter barrier years ago. GM is ??? (Looks like an MR2, a Fiero and 2018 vette had a collision)

"MUH HP/L!"

And you'll get the same MPG with that high strung Ferrari that needs the top end inspected every other year.

Meanwhile that "truck motor" will outlast the owner with only needing sparkplugs and air/oil filter changes.

The craziest thing about this is the price. This is a mid-engine high performance sports car, well deservingly in the 'supercar' class. And it costs $60k? That's insanely low for this amount of car. Consider that a 911 Carrera S costs almost twice as much, yet makes 50hp less. Compare to an NSX or really any other supercar, as well, and the difference is mind boggling.

Yeah, but it's a GM product, it'll fall apart or rattle/squeak itself to death in under 5 years.

So the GPS remembers where to raise the nose, instead of where to lower it? Wouldn't it be better to have it lower it into racing configuration at the track, and by default have it higher up to deal with bumps and potholes when its not in a whitelisted place?

I'm assuming that it also includes interstates and major highways as whitelisted and cities as generally not.

It amazes me that some automakers can have a sub 4.0liter engine with over 400HP capabilities and GM still has a 6.2liter motor rater under 500HP. We have broken the 100HP per liter barrier years ago. GM is ??? (Looks like an MR2, a Fiero and 2018 vette had a collision)

Let me know when you can turbo one of those to over 1000 hp like the LS V8 and then we'll talk.

That's not a 'Vette no matter what badge they put on it. The defining features of being a Corvette have been the extra-long hood and the air vents behind the front wheels. Only a few have also had intakes in front of the real wheels but nothing remotely as pronounced as those monstrosities.

Bullshit. The defining feature of the Corvette has been being a very fast, very light, very maneuverable 2-seater sports car that mere mortals can afford.

This is the real point of the car. If you can afford a tricked-out pickup truck or a Tesla, you can afford this. A Miata owner can aspire to it without needing an inheritance from a millionaire, just a decent job. And unlike those 4-liter turbo-pumped screamers, the 'Vette's 6-liter should be low-maintenance and reliable like American cars should be.

Interestingly, the 'Vette has been mid engine for a couple of iteratons; it's just that the engine was in front of the driver rather than behind. Perhaps "pilot" is a better term for those sitting ahead of the engine?

Mid-front is a perfectly cromulent drivetrain configuration, and the rear transaxle on the previous Corvettes was a good way to balance the weight inside the wheelbase even better...

But anyone who has ever driven a true mid engine car-- engine behind the driver but center of mass ahead of the rear wheels-- understands that they're completely different beasts.

No GM product was on my radar because, well, I've had experience with GM products, but with this coming in massively cheaper than anticipated and me missing a mid-engine car in my life, I can feel a mid-life crisis coming on.

It amazes me that some automakers can have a sub 4.0liter engine with over 400HP capabilities and GM still has a 6.2liter motor rater under 500HP. We have broken the 100HP per liter barrier years ago. GM is ??? (Looks like an MR2, a Fiero and 2018 vette had a collision)

Hp/L is a bullshit metric that tells you nothing at all about performance. The GM 6.2 is a compact, volumetrically efficient, and very unstressed drivetrain that is incredibly reliable and incredibly fuel efficient for its output. It's also naturally aspirated, and most sub-4.0L competition is turbocharged - which is effectively a substitute for displacement. This is the detuned base model and subsequent iterations will have 700+ and around 950hp.

If you think this is not an advanced, state of the art engine, you just don't know anything about it.

It amazes me that some automakers can have a sub 4.0liter engine with over 400HP capabilities and GM still has a 6.2liter motor rater under 500HP. We have broken the 100HP per liter barrier years ago. GM is ??? (Looks like an MR2, a Fiero and 2018 vette had a collision)

Let me know when you can turbo one of those to over 1000 hp like the LS V8 and then we'll talk.

The craziest thing about this is the price. This is a mid-engine high performance sports car, well deservingly in the 'supercar' class. And it costs $60k? That's insanely low for this amount of car. Consider that a 911 Carrera S costs almost twice as much, yet makes 50hp less. Compare to an NSX or really any other supercar, as well, and the difference is mind boggling.

Yeah, but it's a GM product, it'll fall apart or rattle/squeak itself to death in under 5 years.

In all seriousness though, repair and maintenance costs are a hugely underrated aspect of an expensive high performance car. You can get some exotic cars, even supercars, relatively cheaply compared to their starting price, but it's a mistake to think that constitutes the total cost of ownership. It can get pretty crazy. I'll be curious to see if this car holds an advantage in that aspect too - my expectation is that it will, but I could certainly be wrong.

The craziest thing about this is the price. This is a mid-engine high performance sports car, well deservingly in the 'supercar' class. And it costs $60k? That's insanely low for this amount of car. Consider that a 911 Carrera S costs almost twice as much, yet makes 50hp less. Compare to an NSX or really any other supercar, as well, and the difference is mind boggling.

Yeah, but it's a GM product, it'll fall apart or rattle/squeak itself to death in under 5 years.

In all seriousness though, repair and maintenance costs are a hugely underrated aspect of an expensive high performance car. You can get some exotic cars, even supercars, relatively cheaply compared to their starting price, but it's a mistake to think that constitutes the total cost of ownership. It can get pretty crazy. I'll be curious to see if this car holds an advantage in that aspect too - my expectation is that it will, but I could certainly be wrong.

It certainly should. The transmission is kind of a question mark, but that's it. This has an OHV valvetrain - no pushrods - but otherwise there's nothing here that GM isn't deeply familiar with.

It amazes me that some automakers can have a sub 4.0liter engine with over 400HP capabilities and GM still has a 6.2liter motor rater under 500HP. We have broken the 100HP per liter barrier years ago. GM is ??? (Looks like an MR2, a Fiero and 2018 vette had a collision)

Hp/L is a bullshit metric that tells you nothing at all about performance. The GM 6.2 is a compact, volumetrically efficient, and very unstressed drivetrain that is incredibly reliable and incredibly fuel efficient for its output. It's also naturally aspirated, and most sub-4.0L competition is turbocharged - which is effectively a substitute for displacement. This is the detuned base model and subsequent iterations will have 700+ and around 950hp.

If you think this is not an advanced, state of the art engine, you just don't know anything about it.

Next thing you know we'll have some braindead Top Gear addict coming into call it "agricultural," as though American V8s haven't been the technological top of the heap since the invention of the V-config engine.

I seen it, right here on this very forum. The irony of people who regard brown station wagons with small diesels as the epitome of automotive desire calling things agricultural never gets old.

So the GPS remembers where to raise the nose, instead of where to lower it? Wouldn't it be better to have it lower it into racing configuration at the track, and by default have it higher up to deal with bumps and potholes when its not in a whitelisted place?

Previous 'Vettes haven't been that low to the ground. Ok, perhaps in a major city with deteriorating roads you might not want to drive one, but unless you were coming in/out of a driveway or going over a speed bump usually it wasn't a problem.

That's not a 'Vette no matter what badge they put on it. The defining features of being a Corvette have been the extra-long hood and the air vents behind the front wheels. Only a few have also had intakes in front of the real wheels but nothing remotely as pronounced as those monstrosities.

And here I thought what made it a Corvette was fibreglass/plastic composite body panels ;-).

That's not a 'Vette no matter what badge they put on it. The defining features of being a Corvette have been the extra-long hood and the air vents behind the front wheels. Only a few have also had intakes in front of the real wheels but nothing remotely as pronounced as those monstrosities.

Bullshit. The defining feature of the Corvette has been being a very fast, very light, very maneuverable 2-seater sports car that mere mortals can afford.

Show me a 'Vette from any era that doesn't sport the two features I pointed out. Go ahead, I'll wait.

On the flip side, consider the 1979 L48. It was 3,300 lbs and didn't even break 200 hp. Or the 1980 305 with a three speed automatic transmission and only 180 hp (and it was the only 'Vette you could buy in California).

Also, Corvettes, while not quite a built for straight lines as other American muscle cars, were not known for their handling until the C5.

And now they are, because live-axle turds went the way of the dodo in the 1990s and the car-buying public expects something better than a dragster now. Life moves on, and shackling yourself to a front-engine config for the sake of styling when the Corvette's competition has all gone mid-engine is just dumb. If GM can sell a car that competes directly against the Ford GT and Huracan for a fraction the price, I say more power to them, and damn tradition.